1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic programming method and, more particularly, to an automatic programming method for outputting figure elements and a part profile in an automatic programming language in response to a part profile output request.
2. Description of the Art
In an automatic programming apparatus for creating numerical control (NC) data using an automatic programming language such as APT or FAPT,
(a) a part program is internally generated by defining points, straight lines and circular arcs using simple symbols (this is referred to as "figure definition"), and then defining a part profile in the order of tool movement using the defined points, straight lines and circular arcs (this is referred to as "part profile definition"), and
(b) the part program is subsequently converted into NC data comprising NC data (EIA codes or ISO codes) in a format capable of being executed by an NC unit.
In this conventional automatic programming system, a point P.sub.i among the figure elements is stored in memory upon being expressed as EQU P.sub.i =x.sub.i, y.sub.i
using coordinates x.sub.i, y.sub.i of the point, a straight line S.sub.i among the figure elements is stored in memory upon being expressed as EQU S.sub.i =P(x.sub.m,y.sub.m), P(x.sub.n,y.sub.n)
using the coordinates (x.sub.m,y.sub.m), (x.sub.n,y.sub.n) of two points P.sub.m, P.sub.n on the straight line, and a circle among the figure elements is stored in memory upon being expressed as EQU C.sub.i =x.sub.c, y.sub.c, r
using the coordinates (x.sub.c,y.sub.c) of the center of the circle and the radius r of the circle. When it is requested that the part profile be outputted to a printer or display unit as a part program, the items of figure element data are outputted in the order of tool movement and the part program is outputted as a result. By way of example, when a part profile expressed by the bold line in FIG. 7 is defined as
S.sub.1, PA1 S.sub.3, PA1 S.sub.5, PA1 S.sub.2, PA1 S.sub.4, PA1 C.sub.1
in the order of tool movement using defined figure elements S.sub.1 -S.sub.5, C.sub.1 and output of the part program for this part profile is subsequently requested, the automatic programming system outputs the part program, which is represented by EQU S.sub.1 =P(10,0), P(0,0) EQU S.sub.3 =P(0,0), P(0,5) EQU S.sub.5 =P(0,5), P(5,10) EQU S.sub.2 =P(5,10), P(15,10) EQU S.sub.4 =P(15,10), P(15,5) EQU C.sub.1 =15, 0, 5
to the printer or display unit to be printed out or displayed thereby.
In the prior art, however, the figure elements and part profile are outputted in the same format regardless of how the programmer defines them. Accordingly, how the figure elements and part profile were defined cannot be ascertained merely by looking at the output, and therefore it is difficult to recognize and revise the part profile. Recognition and revision become even more difficult the more complicated the part profile.